SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Emotion was heavy in the air as Duff Spence, the re-elected chairperson of the YK1 school board, handed out gifts and said goodbye to former board members Jay Butler and Mildred Wilke, at the start of the new board's first meeting on Nov. 10.

"I'll miss this (board) a lot," said Wilke, her voice starting to break and eyes beginning to tear up.

A few members spoke up to thank Wilke for her service.

"I've enjoyed your stories, your humour, and your words of wisdom – all of a sudden, you'll say something out of the blue that makes so much sense," said Reanna Erasmus.

As well, during the presentation of a gift and thank-you to Butler, it was obvious that he and Spence had become good friends during their tenure.

"It's always hard with an election, where there's winners and losers," Spence told Yellowknifer, after the meeting – but he's not bitter at the results of the election.

"It's always nice to have people you don't know on the board as well in terms of different perspectives and really, the value in the board is having seven different perspectives, but we come together as a team for the common goal of the children," said Spence.

During the meeting, he shared with members new and old, what his position on the school board means to him.

"I think it takes a lot of work and a lot of commitment to be a part of this board, but there's a lot of joy – I always say that this is the job that fills my soul, and I hope it does for other people," said Spence.

Before the main meeting at 7 p.m., the board met in the Sir John Franklin High School foods classroom, where they were cooked a fancy and well-received meal by some of the students.

Before the main course was brought out, the new members of the board were sworn in, and the chairperson and vice-chairperson were elected – respectively, Spence, and Allan Shortt.

Both were elected unanimously.

"I think people are happy with the way that the board has been handling things," said Spence of being re-elected to both the board and chairperson.

"We're seen in the community is credible."